Coach Ace Leads Yellow Jackets to Playoffs For Third Straight Season

After finishing the season with a record of 14-8, the Steel City Yellow Jackets are back in the American Basketball Association playoffs for the third year in a row. They finished with a home record of 10-3 and a record of 4-5 on the road capping off the 2016/2017 regular season.

Pittsburgh is known as the City of Champions. Whether it be the Pittsburgh Steelers with their NFL record six Super Bowl Championships, The Pittsburgh Pirates five World Series Championships, or the Pittsburgh Penguins capturing five Stanley Cup Championships including two in the past ten years. Winning has been a way of life in the Pittsburgh sports scene and fans expect nothing less from the teams they support.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets, Pittsburgh's Professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association, look to keep this standard of winning going as they make the trip to the 2016/2017 American Basketball Association playoffs this weekend. This is not their first rodeo in the playoff scene as they have made the playoffs in each of their first two years of existence as well under head coach Averill Pippens.

Last season, their playoff run took them to the windy city of Chicago, Illinois for the first round of the 2015/2016 playoffs. Unfortunately, that playoff run was cut short as they would fall to the Windy City Groove by the final score of 112-91. The Yellow Jackets have four players returning from last year's loss and they are more determined then ever to make a run at the elusive ABA Championship.

The road will not be easy, with the top seed being occupied by the undefeated DMV Warriors, who the Yellow Jackets played tight all season long. However, the goal from the beginning of the season has been to win a championship for the city of Pittsburgh. Coach Ace has preached this to the team all season long, and now he looks to put that preaching into action in the 2017 playoffs.

The Yellow Jackets were supposed to play a home game in the first round of the playoffs where they would have faced off against Team Network at the Neighborhood Academy. However, that game got cancelled and as a result the Yellow Jackets automatically advanced to the second round where they will travel to Muskegon, Michigan to take on the West Michigan Lake Hawks, a team they battled once already in the regular season.

In their only matchup of the regular season in Muskegon, Michigan the Yellow Jackets came out on top picking up a 107-101 victory. Antonio Reddic would lead the Yellow Jackets with 32 points on that night and was helped out by a fast start from the team. The road was not a kind place to the Yellow Jackets early in the season, but after that game against West Michigan, things started to click and the Jackets got better and better with each coming weekend.

The Yellow Jackets home record speaks for itself as they ended with a record of 10-3 at the Neighborhood Academy. That being said, the Yellow Jackets would have loved the opportunity to play at home in the playoffs, but they are excited for the opportunity to participate in the tournament for the third straight season.

The Yellow Jackets finished the 2016/2017 regular season in the top 20 of the American Basketball Association power rankings with their 14-8 record. They were helped out by a comeback victory over the number 18 ranked Fredericksburg Grizzlies 128-126 in overtime. It was the game that defined the season for the Yellow Jackets as they never gave up and picked up the much needed victory.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are looking to keep up the winning tradition that is the standard in the Pittsburgh area. Coach Ace is excited to lead his team to the playoffs for the third straight year. He wants to help bring this city together through basketball and hopefully bring the city another championship to add to its trophy case. You can follow the Yellow Jackets playoff run live on Facebook and be sure to catch all of the recaps right here. Be sure to support and Catch the Buzz.

Johnathan Logan Follows Passion to the ABA

Johnathan Logan has known the sport of basketball his whole life. Ever since he was three years old, he always had a basketball in his hand. Today, Logan has made basketball part of his lifestyle and has followed that passion all the way to the professional level as part of the Steel City Yellow Jackets

Having a passion for something means devoting as much time as you can to that one thing in order to make yourself as successful as you can possibly be. However, turning that passion into a lifestyle takes time and dedication. You have to eat, sleep, dream, and live your passion weaving it into every single part of your life.

For Steel City Yellow Jacket Johnathan Logan, basketball has gone beyond a passion of his; it has turned into a lifestyle. Logan found the game of basketball when he was six years old, but from the time he was three his father had a basketball in his hand. It was all he ever knew and from that moment, his dad opened his eyes to what would become a career choice.

“My father introduced me to the game,” said Logan. “He was my influence in that matter. I used to play against him all the time; he’d rough me up and tell me to get back on my feet. I thin that’s where my toughness comes from.”

These long tiring days on the court is what eventually prepared Logan for the road ahead. Every time he was knocked down he would always stand right back up ready to go at it again. This perseverance would be crucial at the high school level, as it was an up and down road for Logan.

His first three years saw Logan playing on the Junior Varsity team at Fairmont High School in Fairmont, West Virginia with only minimal reps on the varsity level. Finally, Logan said enough is enough and spent the summer of his junior year working harder than he ever had. Logan says he was at every summer workout determined to better his game.

“After my junior year in high school, I finally dedicated myself to improvement of my game,” said Logan. “I didn’t miss a summer workout at all and I started as a senior and was a captain of the team. We made it to the regional championship game that season before getting our season cut short before the state title game.”

Because of all of his hard work going into his senior season, Logan was left with a choice after high school. He had two offers on the table. The first option was a full ride academic scholarship to Division III Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia where he could play his four years of basketball. The other option was to go to The Community College of Beaver County for two seasons and see what happens after that.

Logan would eventually choose to go to the Community College of Beaver County and in the end, it would turn out to be the right choice. He would play two seasons for CCBC where he averaged 10.5 points per game and lead the team with 26 blocked shots in his sophomore season. He would receive all-conference honors in his sophomore year as well before he transferred to play at Edinboro University.

This is where he would meet current teammate Isaiah Prince and together they would lead the Fighting Scotts to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Playoffs, a place they had not been for five years. Logan would finish his career at Edinboro with 495 points and averaging 9.3 points per game. He also collected 30 blocks in his two seasons to go along with 80 assists.

When asked if he would make the same college choice that he did again, Logan said he would do it in a heartbeat. He says he had more opportunities coming out of Edinboro then he did if he would have come out of a Division III school.

“It gave me better opportunities coming out of Junior College,” said Logan. “If I would have gone Division III then I wouldn’t have the same opportunities as I would have coming out of Junior College getting a full scholarship to a Division II school.”

One of the many opportunities he received at Edinboro University, was the chance to meet two of his current teammates in Isaiah Prince and Gilmore Cummings. These two were essential in getting Logan to the Yellow Jackets. Logan says he knew about the Yellow Jackets in their first year but was still in school. However, after playing against the Yellow Jackets later that year, he got his shot and came to the team the following season.

“I found the Steel City Yellow Jackets in their first year,” said Logan. “Unfortunately, I was still in school and couldn’t play, so I waited my turn and got the opportunity to face them with an ABA team in West Virginia called the Wildcats. [Coach Ace] saw me play in person and I had a good showing in those games which landed me to the Yellow Jackets the next year.”

The transition to the Steel City Yellow Jackets was helped out for Logan by the fact that he already had a good friend on the team in Gil Cummings. Logan says Cummings and he have a great relationship off the court and it has been beneficial for Logan both on and off the court.

“Me and Gil have a great relationship outside of basketball as well,” said Logan. “He mentioned the team to me and asked me to play this season and I accepted. He’s been a huge staple in getting me mentally prepared and ready for all the games. He continued to lead our squad to success this season.”

With great team leadership and a winning attitude, Logan found a home here in Pittsburgh with the Steel City Yellow Jackets. As Pittsburgh is trying to build more and more of a fan base of people to come out and watch their games, Logan is just happy to help this famous sports city build a reputation in the sport of basketball.

“It means a lot to represent a city with a professional basketball team in it and have people who enjoy watching you play,” said Logan. “I’m just happy for the opportunity honestly, but playing for the people and the city of Pittsburgh is great.”

It has been a long journey in the basketball world for Logan as he has risen up through the ranks as a high school athlete, to a college athlete, and all the way to his current position as a professional basketball player. There have been some difficulties for Logan throughout his basketball career, but he cherishes the journey basketball has taken him on and what it holds for him in the future.

“Growing up all I knew was basketball,” said Logan. “Basketball has taken me so many places and I have experienced so many things just by playing a simple game. I’m thankful for what it has brought me thus far.”

For Johnathan Logan the basketball dream lives on as he works hard every day to be the best player he can be, and help the Steel City Yellow Jackets in any way he can. After reaching the playoffs for the third year in a row, Logan looks to continue the winning tradition of the Steel City Yellow Jackets right here in Pittsburgh.